Tell Me Something Real
by candyflavordlies
Summary: Rose is beginning to realize that, for a man who speaks a billion languages, it's a little silly to think they're always speaking the same one.
1. Mother Knows Best

**Mother Knows Best**

One day, quite an ordinary one, given her current life, her mum asks her a rather innocuous question. Rose would've thought nothing of it except, Jackie Tyler is far from the first person to mention it.

"What's he callin' ya?"

"What?" Rose puts down the cup she's washing to look over shoulder. The Doctor is in the living room, touching and sniffing anything he can get his hands on.

Jackie follows her gaze, then shuffles forward and lowers her voice. "When he's talkin', what's he callin' ya?"

"My name, mum. Rose?" She looks at her mother as if she's lost her mind.

"I know that. But what's he saying after?"

Rose glances out the window and furrows her brow. "I don't know what you're talkin' bout mum. Just my name." She spins around suddenly and toys with the zipper on her jacket. "Why, what do you hear?"

Jackie shrugs, not sure how to explain it. "Maybe it's an alien thing. Like a lisp?" Rose laughs, even snorts a little, at that. Realizing that Rose has no intention of offering any further explanation, the conversation turns to daytime soap operas.


	2. Maybe Harriet Does Too

**And Maybe Harriet Does Too**

Just because she laughed it off back at the flat doesn't mean the thought has left her. It's actually the very opposite. She's obsessed with figuring out what it is that everyone else is hearing.

Rose thinks back to the Slitheen invasion a few months, or was it weeks, or was it days, ago? Before her and the Doctor left, Harriet Jones had pulled her to the side. She had a red flush to her cheeks which probably had a lot to do with the near death experience. Even so, the older woman fidgeted with her jacket before sidling a little closer to Rose.

"I don't mean to intrude but," She began. Rose almost rolled her eyes. That's _exactly_ what people said right before they did just that. She expected the obvious question regarding her and the Doctor's relationship. She was completely unprepared for what came next. "How long did it take you to learn that language?"

"What?"

"That language he speaks, it's very beautiful." Rose furrowed her eyebrows.

"The Doctor speaks English." She knows this because he had explicitly told her that very thing. It was followed by the customary jab at the human race - something about them only knowing one language, etc, etc.

"When he was speaking to you about the missiles, he wasn't. I mean, he was, but only the first part." She waved her hand as if she realized how silly she must sound. "Pay me no mind, dear, it's the reporter in me. It must have been something very secret."

Rose was about to ask her what exactly she heard but the Doctor appeared behind her, all false cheer and big smiles.

"Best be off now. Whole universe to save. Earth isn't the center of it, despite what you lot think."

They said their goodbyes and thank yous and Rose stored it away for later.


	3. Now This is Getting Ridiculous

**Now This is Getting Ridiculous**

It happens again in Van Statten's basement when she asks if Adam could come along. Rose doesn't know it until she's walking Adam to his quarters.

He whispers, afraid the Doctor can hear them from wherever he is. "What did he say?"

"Who?"

"The Doctor. When you asked if I could come along. He said something I didn't understand. You said you hadn't noticed. Noticed what?"

Rose blushes furiously. "Nothing!" She felt the panicked smile taking over her face and God, she must look daft staring at him like some idiot. There's no saving face here, so she all but shoves him into the room, wishes him goodnight and runs off to her bedroom to die of embarrassment.


	4. One Plus One, Plus One Is

**One Plus One, Plus One Is**

It's not until the visit home that she starts to piece the puzzle together. She doesn't speak any alien languages but the Doctor does. He made quite a show about listing the hundreds of languages in which he was fluent and he might have kept going if Rose hadn't finally walked out of the room.

And, as he had mentioned before, when he wasn't speaking English, the TARDIS was constantly translating for her.

 _Huh_ _ **,**_ she thinks.

It wouldn't do her any good to frighten him and asking flat out right now would do just that. No, she had to be smooth about this. She decides she'll wait until breakfast, after he's had a nice cup of tea before she makes her move.


	5. Challenge Accepted

**Challenge Accepted**

"Morning." He smiles up at her from whatever it is he's fiddling with on the table. There's a cup of tea by his elbow and one on the counter top waiting for her.

"Morning." She sits across from him and twirls the tea bag nervously. She hadn't exactly thought this through. Nonetheless, Rose forges on. "Doctor?"

"Hmm?" He's not paying her much attention. He's got what looks a lot like an eyeglass kit laid out in front of some alien Rubik's Cube.

"How many languages do you speak?"

"Far too many to count."

"To me then?" His hand freezes but his attention doesn't leave whatever it is the Doctor's working on. Rose leans forward, hands clutching her mug.

"What's this about?" He looks up at her slowly, his clear blue eyes somehow guarded.

"People keep asking me and at first I didn't know what they meant but..." She nervously brushes a strand of hair from her face. "You're not always speakin' English, are you?"

"No."

"But I hear English, 'cos the TARDIS translates it for me, yeah?"

"Yes."

"How come?" He looks puzzled for a moment.

"Thought I explained telepathic translation back on Satellite One."

"No, I mean how come you're speakin' another language when everyone we talk to speaks English."

He shrugs nonchalantly but doesn't answer. Rose doesn't know why, but it causes butterflies to dance in her stomach.

"Is it like, a secret language or somethin'? Code words for dangerous situations and all that?"

"Yes." She doesn't know which part of the question he's answering but maybe it's both.

"Is it from Earth?"

"No."

"Are you being vague on purpose?"

"Yes." He ducks his head again, tinkering with the item on the table in an effort not to look at her. He's tried to make it a policy not to lie to her but this was pushing his limit.

"Can you teach it to me? This secret language of yours?"

"Not enough time in the universe." He looks up belatedly, the very tips of his ears flushing pink. He hurries to soften the unintentional insult. "I mean to say that it's a very complicated language that most species can't comprehend."

"No, I got it. Inferior humans and all that." The Doctor sighs and drops the pieces onto the table. They make a dull clinking sound.

"I can teach you something else if you'd like."

"Like what? Pig latin?" Rose asks, a little annoyed.

"Candzoon." She eyes him skeptically.

"Did you just make that up?"

"Primary language on 16 planets in the Khahorintz system. Fallen into a bit of disfavor following the 8th Uprising but still worth a try. Shouldn't be too hard to learn."

"How's that gonna work if the TARDIS is always translating?" The Doctor rolls his eyes. "Right, silly question. Guess she'll just, I dunno, stop?"

"Something like that."

"Alright then, Doctor. Impress me."

The smile that breaks across his face is contagious.


End file.
